A chichi restaurant is the setting for a fast-paced farce in Newtown called "Fully Committed."

Written by Becky Mode and presented by the Newtown Players, the comedy features Todd Santa Maria, of Cheshire, playing more than 40 wildly diverse characters.

It's a "black box" performance, meaning there's a bare-bones set and the play speaks for itself, said the play's director, David Bass, of Danbury.

"(Santa Maria) plays everyone from a chef to the maitre 'd, to women and men. It's a tour de force. It's incredibly funny," he said.

Bass is a commercial real estate attorney with a degree in theater direction from New York University. He said it was years ago when he first saw "Fully Committed" in an off-Broadway production. He loved it and said people he has spoken to who have seen it had the same reaction.

The story follows a day in the life of the character Sam Peliczowski -- an out-of-work actor who takes calls on the red-hot reservation line at Manhattan's top restaurant.

Peliczowski deals with a cast of desperate callers who will stop at nothing to land a prime reservation, or the right table. Some try to strong-arm him with threats. Others try bribery and general hysteria. It's as if the world will stop spinning if their needs are not met.

Amid the barrage, Peliczowski has some personal issues that require his attention. For example, his recently widowed father wants him home for Christmas, and he's up for a choice part at Lincoln Center.

While juggling scheming socialites, name-dropping wannabes, fickle celebrities, and egomaniacal bosses, can he still manage to look out for himself?

The Town Players' Little Theatre is a community theater in its 79th season.